Karma
by Avalon373
Summary: "Maybe this was Karma for all my previous wrongdoings. Someone had once told me Karma came back not just three-fold, but ten-fold. That didn't even begin to cover it." Dimitri decides to leave Rose for Tasha. Faced with her greatest fear, Rose must decide how to fight for their love. Filled with love and passion, smiles and tears... This is their journey.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

**A/N: **Hey! This is my first fanfiction. Please review and give me feedback.

**Setting: **Saint Vladimir's Academy. Set theoretically sometime after Frostbite, but Dimitri never decided whether to take up Tasha's offer or not. This story is a chance for me to see how Rose would cope (or not cope) if Dimitri decided to take it, and how she would fight for their love. The characters are alla little OOC- Rose is a lot more open and vulnerable with her feelings, especially when it comes to her relationship with Dimitri. Dimitri's a little more impulsive, and Tasha is a little more juvenile in her behaviour. But you'll find that out as you read. Hope you enjoy! :)

**For my current readers**, I'm sorry for not writing in a long time- I'm doing my HSC (final year of Aussie school) so am super busy, and also experienced a severe case of writer's block. I'm rewriting old chapters to make them newer & better, but please, give me your feedback- criticisms, ideas, positive, negative, everything! Thanks for all who have reviewed so far- particular shout out to EmptyBlackboard. Just to clarify- I will not be making Rose pregnant. And no, for those of you who were wondering- Rose and Dimitri haven't done the nasty... yet. Thoughts? :)

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><p>"Hell yeah! Ladies and gents, the ah-may-ziing Rose Hathaway!" I crowed as I flipped Dimitri onto his back again. We'd been sparring for the past ten minutes and I'd already beaten him twice due to his lack of concentration. Apparently even the Zen master himself had off days.<p>

When Dimitri didn't respond, I rolled my eyes and offered my hand to him. "Now, now, don't get too excited." Sarcasm coloured my tone.

Dimitri's face didn't change at all as he ignored my hand and stoically brushed past me to his bag. He grabbed his water bottle and took a large swig. I followed his lead with only a small amount of attitude.

As I drank, I racked my brain for anything I might have done wrong lately, and when I (for once) came up with nothing, went back to my teasing. "Too bad the trial's still a few weeks away, huh, Comrade? Seeing me kick some ass could brighten anyone's mood, even yours." I winked.

Dimitri stopped drinking and closed his eyes, pausing for a beat before setting his water bottle down. I warily followed suit. "Actually Rose, I won't be able to make your trial."

My brow furrowed. "What? Seriously, you have outside work on the day of the _trial?_ Can't it wait?"

Dimitri's guardian mask slipped into place. "No, I just won't be around then anymore Rose."

I was confused. "What do you mean you're not going to be around anymore?"

Dimitri watched me cautiously. "I will be leaving to guard Tasha."

I recoiled from him quickly. "What?"

Dimitri just looked at me.

Realisation dawned on me, and the panic started to set in. "You're leaving me?"

Dimitri clenched his jaw and nodded.

Silence. Seconds passed.

The next time I spoke, my voice shook. "You chose Tasha, not me." It was a question, but not.

Dimitri nodded again, but this time he managed words, albeit hoarse ones. "Yes, Rose."

My breathing picked up and tears blurred my vision. Panic strangled me as I struggled for words. "B-But I… I… um." Shit. I _knew_ he was going to pick Tasha, but instead of finding a way to deal with it, I'd chosen to ignore it. Now I was losing him, possibly forever. I needed to fix this fast, and I didn't know how. My mind searched for something, and I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes so I wouldn't cry. When I pulled them away, my hands were wet. Damn it, the pity card would not work here. A cold sweat started to break out on my skin. I respected Dimitri, and I accepted his decision, but dammit, I needed him. The thought of having to live without him terrified me. "I could call you? Yeah, that's it, I could call you! And you could help me with my trial like that." Feeble hope filled my voice as well as my soul. My breathing started to slow. It'd be okay. I could still hear his voice, and he could give me advice, and it would all be fine. And when the trial was over, I'd have a better plan. Okay. I looked up at his face, eager, and froze from the regretful look there. The hope trickled out of me and my breathing picked up again. When he opened his mouth, I began to beg for the first time in my life. "No, no, look, I mean, I won't try anything, I swear, I just, I need your help." _I need you_.

"Rose." He said gently.

"_Please." _I don't think I'd ever used that word before.

His breath caught, but when he spoke, his voice was just as gentle as before. "Rose, how do you think Tasha would feel knowing I talk to my ex-girlfriend every night?" "Okay, just sometimes. Just when I'm really, really stuck." I just couldn't shut up.

"Rose!" Dimitri's voice rose, scolding.

I stopped breathing altogether. Great, now he was mad at me.

I watched his chest rise and fall a few times before I couldn't take it anymore. I let a breath out, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry, Dimitri."

I looked down at the ground, and heard Dimitri sigh. "I know, Rose."

Deafening silence ensued.

I scrubbed at a piece of the ground with my shoe, watching it shake a little. Before I could think, the words left my mouth.

"I'm scared."

I slapped my hand to my mouth like I'd said something dirty. Rose Hathaway does not get scared. Dimitri's gaze dropped down to my shoe, still shaking slightly.

"I thought you would be mad. I didn't expect you to be scared."

"I'm so scared, Dimitri." My voice shook. "I don't know how to cope without you. I don't just rely on myself anymore, I rely on you too. And I mean, you're not even letting me be with friends with you anymore and I have trials coming up and Lissa and spirit and-" I forced myself to stop.

Dimitri's face had grown sad at some point. "I'm sorry, Roza. I wish I could be there for you."

"Then be there for me." I begged.

"I can't Rose, or I'll never stop loving you."

It was both a relief to hear he still loved me, and devastating to realise he didn't want to. I never wanted to stop loving him. Problems or not, I'd always want him. For a while, I'd even thought I could have that.

Moments passed. I knew he was right, that a clean break would be best, but letting him go completely might actually kill me. Cliché as it was, I needed Dimitri to breathe.

I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders, preparing myself for another rejection. "Dimitri… can you just think about it for me, please? Maybe we can compromise a little… that is, if you still want to be friends?"

_Friends._ The word rang on repeat in my head, taunting me. So much less than what I wanted, so much more than he probably did. And why not? I was just another student. Feeling stupid, I turned away, already hearing the refusal in my mind. Jesus, I'd actually thought I had a chance with a god. Maybe this was Karma for all my previous wrongdoings. Someone had once told me Karma came back not just three-fold, but ten-fold. That didn't even begin to cover it.

Fuck my life.

I was almost at the door and almost resigned to my fate when Dimitri spoke.

So I was completely surprised when he agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Fuck my life.

Not only is the love of my life leaving me for another woman, my inadequacy also seemed to extend to my lack of ability to wrap my hands. I looked down at my hands mournfully. The skin was cracked and bleeding in some places, merely chapped in others. The pain didn't bother me so much as the questions I knew they'd bring from my peers. How would I explain that? _Oh, yes, I was just beating the crap out of a punching bag so I didn't pummel a royal moroi. No worries! _

_And of course they'd hide the first aid kit where no one could find it. _I slammed the door of the cupboard I was looking in closed, cursing to myself. Where the hell was it? "Fuck me!" I grumbled, spinning around to locate the little box. I'd left Dimitri in the gym after our discussion last night, but when I eventually got back to my dorm room, I couldn't sleep. I'd gone for a walk and somehow ended up in the gym, brutally attacking a punching bag.

I opened another cupboard, scanning the shelves. Jackpot! I found the medical kit… on the highest shelf. I heard the gym doors open and close behind me but ignored it, assuming another novice had come to practise. Struggling on my tiptoes to reach it, I stretched my hand up and swore when it came inches short of the box. I began to a put a foot on the bottom step, intending to climb up, when the smell of aftershave rolled over me. A tan, muscled forearm moved beside my face and pulled the kit down for me. I froze, instantly recognizing Dimitri.

"Looking for this?"

I stopped a shiver that threatened to run through my body. God, I loved that accent. I turned and reached for the kit. "Thank you."

Dimitri's hand came up and grabbed my wrist before I could take the kit from him. Twisting it to look at my hand, he swore in Russian before tugging me behind him to the mats. "Why weren't you wearing gloves?"

I tugged my wrist from his grasp awkwardly. Covering up with bravado, I spouted, "Impromptu training session, Comrade. You should try it sometime, you might learn some skills."

Dimitri ignored my comment and sat down on the mats. He opened the kit, looking very unimpressed, before gesturing for me to sit down too. I crossed my legs and sat in front of him, watching him sort through the kit. After a few moments, he grabbed my right hand from my side and slathered it with antibacterial cream. I flinched from the sting.

"Serves you right," Dimitri scolded. I rolled my eyes as he repeated the action with the other hand.

He grabbed my other hand again, this time rubbing a soothing salve into my skin. I closed my eyes from the feel of his skin rubbing slow, gentle circles into my own, remembering another time he had done this for me. I remembered the conversation we had, how he'd hinted that he thought I was pretty. _Not as pretty as Tasha. _

I didn't want to ask, but I had to know. "Why… Why did you decide to take Tasha's offer?"

Dimitri glanced away, avoiding my gaze for a long time before focusing his attention back onto my hands, rubbing the last of the salve in. As he worked, he spoke.

"I thought about that decision for a long time. About what I wanted in life and what each path offered me. How it would affect my promise." His hands left mine to gesture towards the back of his neck.

Of course he did. That's who Dimitri was.

Dimitri gently placed my hands back on my lap. "In the end, I had to choose, and I wanted to pick the best option."

I looked down, upset. "And that wasn't me. But why?"

Dimitri sighed, running a hand over his face. "Natasha Ozera is a good friend of mine. She's strong, smart, beautiful."

Each word hurt and squeezed my chest tighter. I looked away from him, focusing my gaze on the weights machine in the corner to stop the tears from forming.

I felt Dimitri pull his hands away from his face and dangle them by his sides.

"We wouldn't have to hide our relationship, and… she's willing to have dhampir children, Rose."

I pulled my knees up to my chest as tears started to slide down my cheeks. "I wish I could give these things to you."

"I know." We both heard the words he didn't say- _but you can't._

"I wish I was enough for you." Despair filled my voice, even though it was only a whisper.

"Roza." The sounds left his mouth sadly. I waited, and when he didn't deny my claim, calm my fears, the tears started to flow down my face faster. I turned away from him, ashamed of myself, as a quiet sob left my mouth.

I heard him sigh before his hands reached out and pulled me to him. I curled myself into his body and sobbed into his chest as his arms came around me. His left hand stroked my hair softly and he murmured to me in Russian until I calmed down. My hands gripped his shirt as if I could hold him tight enough to make him stay. When Dimitri's hands left my body and moved up to my hands, a fresh tear left my eye. I wasn't ready to let go. He leant down and kissed it away, tangling my fingers with his own and pulling me up with him as he stood. "You're an amazing woman, Rose. Far more than what I deserve." With that, he kissed me on the forehead, gently pulled his hands away, and left the gym, putting the first aid kit back on the shelf on his way out.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

_My biggest thanks to everyone who reviewed! To clarify- Rose is NOT going to be pregnant in this story. Also, Rose will start to fight for Dimitri to take her back, but that includes letting him know how she feels and learning to cope with her own grief. So in a way, she already is fighting for their love. Ta and much love xxx_

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><p>I saw Tasha today.<p>

It was lovely.

Not.

I was bustling across the quad towards afternoon practise with Dimitri when I spotted her coming back from the same direction I was heading. I ignored her hoping she didn't see me, but she spotted me and called out.

"Rose!"

Mentally cringing at the awkward discussion that was about to unfold and praying it would involve words not fists, I forced a smile. "Tasha!"

"How's it going? All ready for trials?" She seemed casual, but my every nerve was on edge, waiting for her start snarling like a rabid dog.

"Those guardians won't know what hit 'em." I winked.

"Sorry to be taking your mentor away from you, so close to trials. I hope it won't affect your training too badly." That's when I saw it. The glint in her eye, the slight smirk. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"Are you kidding? I'm gonna kick ass. I'll just miss him. He was a good mentor." _He was a good everything. _

"I bet that's new- a guy leaving Rose Hathaway." She giggled.

"Sorry?"

"Oh, honey, your reputation precedes you. And why not, with curves like that? If you lost a few kilos, you could be stunning." She made out that she had an itchy spot, pulling her dress tighter and enunciating her skinny frame in her efforts to 'scratch' it. "Oh well, best be off. Take care!"

She bustled past me, making sure her shoulder bumped mine. I rolled my eyes at her efforts to knock me sideways and heading to the gym, head churning.

"You're late."

I threw my bag to the floor. "I know, I'm sorry, I ran into Tasha on the way here."

Dimitri narrowed his eyes. "And?"

I shrugged. "And nothing. She asked if I was ready for the trial. I told her I'd kick ass."

Dimitri didn't look like he believed me, but he let it go. "And you will. Get ready to spar."

I unzipped my jacket to take it off, then looked down at the sports bra I wore underneath, thinking of Tasha's comment. I wasn't fat by any means, hell I was in great shape. But I wasn't dainty and petite, like Tasha was, either. Maybe Dimitri liked his women like that.

"Rose? Everything okay?"

I looked up to see Dimitri looking at me with a mixture of confusion and concern.

I mentally slapped myself and shrugged off my jacket. I was being stupid. I knew I was hot, and no one had ever complained about my size before. "Yeah, good to go."

He nodded reluctantly and led me to the sparring area, talking me through the rules of the challenge- no hitting above the neck, and a kill shot would win the round.

We stepped onto the mats. Dimitri threw the first punch. I dodged and kicked out with my right leg. He blocked, and threw another punch, which I also blocked. We continued in that way, dodging and blocking hits, occasionally landing a few, for a while. Eventually, I managed to get past his defences and knock him down, landing on top of him in the perfect position to pin him. Dimitri bucked under my weight, struggling to get me off him, and I had to use all of my strength to hold him down long enough to "stake" him in the chest. Dimitri stopped and nodded, pride in his eyes, and I grinned, chest heaving. I felt a drop of sweat drip down my neck and saw Dimitri's gaze drop to watch it slip into my sports bra. My mind flashed back to Tasha's earlier comment.

Without thinking, I blurted out, "Do you still think I'm pretty?"

Dimitri head jerked to meet my eyes. "What?" He looked shocked.

I swallowed. "Do you-"

"Yes."

I looked up, hopeful. "Yes?"

He looked back at me sadly. "Yes. You're beautiful. Why would you ask that?"

I looked down, causing a loose tendril of hair to fall in front of my face, and realised that I was still straddling Dimitri. And he was looking great, all sweaty and shirtless. I was positive that was violating academy rules. I moved to get up, quickly, before my mind wandered to what delicious sin could come out of breaking those rules. I would not be that woman who made a man cheat on somebody. "Nevermind."

Dimitri followed me, quickly rising to his feet. He looked at me for a moment as if he were about to say something and then shook his head instead. "Next round."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

**For my current (and lovely!) readers**, I'm sorry for not writing in a long time- I'm doing my HSC (final year of Aussie school) so am super busy, and also experienced a severe case of writer's block. I've rewritten old chapters to make them newer & better, but please, give me your feedback- criticisms, ideas, positive, negative, everything! Thanks for all who have reviewed so far- particular shout out to EmptyBlackboard. Just to clarify- I will not be making Rose pregnant. And no, for those of you who were wondering- Rose and Dimitri haven't done the nasty... yet. Thoughts? :)

So, here we go, the long-awaited chapter four: short & sweet :)

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><p>As I was leaving the gym, Dimitri called me back. "Rose?"<p>

"Yes?" I turned around, water bottle in hand.

Dimitri shifted his weight from one foot to another. "About before, on the mats- it was out of line. I almost let myself…"

My eyes flew to his. So the attraction was still there for him, too.

Dimitri saw my look and his facial expression became stern, closed off. "That can't happen anymore, Rose. It would be a mistake."

I swallowed the pain down with a swig of water. "Okay."

"Also… I'm going to tell Tasha. I mean, we're together now, so-"

"So technically you could have just cheated on her. I get it comrade." I turned around to leave.

Then I turned back. "Did you and Tasha ever… While we…"

Dimitri shook his head. "No."

I paused again. "Dimitri, do you love Tasha?"

Dimitri hesitated, clearly not wanting to answer. Too bad. I waited for his reply.

Eventually, Dimitri gave in and shook his head. "No."

"Are you even romantically interested in Tasha?"

I honestly didn't think Dimitri was. Dimitri was fiercely loyal. He wasn't the type of man to cheat on anyone he cared about. Thinking back to his explanation for why he picked Tasha, I realized he never said he loved her. Only that she was a 'good friend' and it made sense for them to be together, unlike us.

He shook his head again. "I could be."

Now for the big question. "And how do you feel about me?"

Dimitri's guardian mask slipped on. "Rose, you are a student at this academy, and seven years younger than me. If I didn't agree to go with Tasha, we'd both be the princesses' guardians one day."

I shook my head. "I didn't ask for the list of reasons we shouldn't be together, Dimitri. I asked how you felt about me."

I trusted Dimitri to be honest and open with me.

Like always, he rewarded me for that trust.

The guardian mask slipped away. A tormented expression came across his face. There were so many emotions- love, fear, pain, worry. I could hardly keep up. "I love you Rose. You're brave and strong and bold. You're beautiful and good. And you're… you. You have the confidence to be yourself, regardless of the consequences. I love you, and I think I'll always love you. But we can't…"

I slipped through the doors before he got any further. I'd heard all I needed to.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

DPOV

I stared at the door as it swung shut softly, staring after my Roza.

_No, she's not your Roza anymore. She's just Rose,_ I chastised myself.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. I hated what I was doing to her, what I was doing to myself. What I was doing to us.

I hated that I was hurting her.

My chest tugged painfully at the memory of the fear and hurt on her face when I told her I was leaving. She looked so small and scared, so… broken, and I just wanted to pull her into my arms and hold her until she was strong again. I wanted to go back in time and fix things, never take that first assignment to find Princess Vasilisa, so we could be together. I wanted to protect her from myself. But, I realised, even if we weren't both to be the princess' guardians, our relationship still wouldn't be allowed, and we still wouldn't be able to have our own family. No matter how often I prayed for it. And I wondered… Was that something I could deal with? While a large part of me jumped to say, "Yes! Of course! Anything for Roza!", a smaller, wiser part of me questioned whether that was true- whether we would both end up resenting each other for something out of our control. It was best to nip a poisonous rose in the bud, right? No pun intended.

And another thing… Rose was still so young. _Seventeen._ That technically made me a paedophile. Fuck, when I thought of it like that, I wanted to jump in the shower and scrub my skin raw. I could get put in jail. I _should _be put in jail, the things I thought about doing with Roza. But she didn't seem seventeen, dammit. She was so much older than her birthday said, mentally and physically. I slammed my fist into a punching bag, watching it swing until my harsh breathing softened.

I groaned, rubbing my hand over my face.

That wasn't the point. Rose wouldn't be seventeen forever. And long term? This was about more than just us.

As much as Roza would have liked to ignore all the obstacles standing in our way, I couldn't. The sensible side of me- the side that enforced honour, duty and logic- couldn't let me. I had so many responsibilities… How could I just throw them all away for something as selfish as love? Sure, I ached to hold her in my arms each night, kiss away the bruises from training, make love to her every morning… But that wasn't worth risking the lives of moroi. They come first. Right?

She was right about one thing though- I didn't love Tasha, and I probably never would. Roza, however- I loved her to my very core. I felt like I was being pulled in separate directions, my head and my heart both wanting different things. If I was with Roza, I'd have to give up the dream of having my own family and shatter the sense of duty and responsibility that had been ingrained in me my whole life. If I kept those two things, I'd have to give up love- and risk never finding it again.

The question was, which would I choose?

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><p><strong>AN: **Thought it was time for a bit of DPOV. What do you think he should do? More importantly...What do you think about the problems he's concerned with? NB: This is a Romitri story and I do plan on Rose and Dimitri getting together... after sorting out all their issues (which could take a while, let's be honest!)

As always, thanks to all my lovely readers and even lovelier reviewers. I absolutely love getting feedback from you guys! xo :)


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

RPOV

I'd heard all I needed to: Dimitri loved me, but he also loved his job, and he wanted to stay true to himself, his principles.

The very reason he wanted to leave was the very reason he should stay.

Who better to help him reach his goals than someone who understood him completely?

I knew Dimitri, sometimes better than I thought I knew myself.

I understood how he worked, even if sometimes I didn't want to see it.

The way he showed me things I never knew about myself… it worked both ways. I could teach him things about himself, too. Could Tasha do that for him?

Deep down, I had to believe she couldn't. What we had… it was electrifying. Ground shaking.

Despite all the obstacles in our way, I knew that Dimitri was the right person for me. He was my perfect match: mentally, physically, spiritually. I hoped… I believed... that I was the best match for him, too. Together, I believed that we could get through this. That we could have a fantastic life, one most people could only dream of.

Now all I had to do was make him believe it, too.

I'd been fighting for what I wanted, and for the people I loved, my whole life. So it only seemed fitting that I'd have to fight hardest for the person I loved the most.

Yeah, life's a bitch.

Initiate mission: get Dimitri back.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Hi guys! Super keen to finally upload the next chapter. I'm sorry, it's not the best I've ever written, but, in my defense, NSW has recently been hit with some pretty severe storms (equivalent to a category 2 cyclone) and while I'm okay, I've had issues with power/internet/reception for a while.

Just to clarify: I have no problems with honest reviews and I'm happy to answer all questions, but please, try and remember: everyone's interpretation is different. I'm not okay with someone stating their interpretation of my story like it's fact rather than an opinion, particularly if it's negative.

To clarify: I'm a huge Rose/Dimitri fan. This is simply a story idea/theme I've been wanting to try out for a while, and I promise it WILL have a happy ending. I haven't delved much into Dimitri/Tasha's story yet, but so far, I don't feel they'd be sleeping together (although, they do have history, so they may have once upon a time... I AM keen to see opinions on this... Do think they have/haven't/should/shouldn't have?) Remember guys, this is the 21st century and it's all about liberation... Most people will sleep with more than one other in their lives. Other than that, my lovely readers & reviewers: thanks heaps for your support, hopefully I'll write something worthy of it!

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><p>Ever heard the saying, 'the best ideas come in the most unlikely of places'?<p>

Well cliché as it is, it might just be true.

Back in my room, I shrugged off my jacket and dumped my bag, walking through the room to the adjoining shower. I blasted my music at top volume and cranked up the hot water. Instant rejuvenation. Lord knows I needed to find some peace and clarity. This thing with Dimitri was wearing me down, and I was just beginning to get back my strength. I was rinsing the last of the conditioner out of my hair to Will. 's "It's My Birthday" when I had an epiphany.

"It's my birthday… It's my birthday… I'm gonna spend my doollllaaaaaaaarrrss!" I shook my hips, risking a slip in the soaking shower. "It's my birthday… It's my birthday… It's…. Shit!" Speaking of birthdays, it was Dimitri's this Friday and with everything that had happened lately, I'd completely forgotten to get him something. Although… with everything that had been happening, this was really my chance to show Dimitri how much I cared about him and what he'd be missing out on if he decided to follow through with this plan. I turned off the water, stumbling out of the shower and racing into my room, thinking. Tasha would most likely buy him something expensive but with relatively little meaning. So I needed to give him something with real meaning. Remembering back to a conversation Dimitri and I had had about what three wishes we'd choose if we found a genie (my idea, obviously), I recalled that Ivan had left a box of things for Dimitri in the event of his death but, as Dimitri was a dhampir, the moroi officials had decided not to give it to him, keeping it in storage instead. He had tried over and over to try and get it back, using all his contacts, but none had come through. He had eventually accepted that it was impossible. And it was… unless you had a mobster for a father. (In this story, Rose knows her Dad.)

Wrapping my hair in another towel, I walked over to my phone before searching through my contacts. As I waited for the international call to connect, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

"Abe Mazur speaking."

"Hey baba."

"Kizim! How are you?"

I smiled. "Oh, you know. Knee deep in trouble as always."

Abe laughed. "That's my girl. Now, tell me what you want."

I gasped in fake shock. "Whatever do you mean? A girl can't ring up her old man for a chat without having an ulterior motive?"

I could almost hear Abe smirk. "Well, a girl could, if she wasn't my daughter."

I laughed. "Fine. I need a box of things that used to belong to Ivan Zeklos. He died a few years ago. There should be some keepsakes in it, things a friend of his would have liked to have but wasn't allowed to."

Abe paused, thinking. "And you think I can get it for you?"

I huffed in frustration. "Well, can you?"

Abe scoffed. "Of course."

I rolled my eyes. "So, will you?"

Abe sighed. "Do you want it sent back to your dorm or straight to this person?"

I nearly squealed with joy. "Thank you Baba! Send it to my dorm, please." My gift wasn't finished yet.

I said my goodbyes and hung up in a flurry of excitement.

Next, I grabbed my laptop and set about booking two tickets to Baia, Russia, having to use the money Abe had given me for my birthday. I hadn't had anything I needed at the time, and right now I was thankful for it. I grinned, snapping my laptop shut and feeling victorious. Dimitri was going to love this birthday present.


	8. Chapter 8

I crouched low, creeping past the lady at the administration desk, who was conveniently peering at her computer screen, and down the hall. When I found the door labelled security, I looked around the corridor to check it was clear and eased it open.

Inside it was empty.

Good.

Along one wall was a mass of computers and television screens, opposite a large map of the state of Montana, suspected strigoi hideouts labelled on it with red pins. One wall was reserved for filing, and the last- rows upon rows of small drawers.

Bingo.

I scoured the labels and reached for the drawer labelled KEYS- DAMPHIR GIRLS. Searching through the mass of keys that sat on the bottom- whoever created this system was less organised than me, and that's saying something- I found the one with 214 engraved on the top. My room. I grabbed it out quickly, slamming the drawer shut with a wave of excitement. However, when I turned around, the smile slipped from my face. Standing in front of me was a muscly, six foot six Russian and he did not look impressed. He stood with his feet apart, arms crossed over his chest, and a suspicious expression. He raised an eyebrow. "Looking for something?"

_Of all the guardians to be manning the security room tonight._ I flashed a winning smile and dangled the key from my fingertips. "Well, I was, but I found it. Thanks!" I tried to push past him but before I could blink, his arms were there, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me back in front of him. I quickly snatched the key back, trying to keep it out of his reach- but honestly, with arms as long as his it was hard- and he noticed. "And what exactly would you need a key for, Miss Hathaway?"

I winced. I hated when he used my professional title, and I hated it when he ruined my plans. "Errr…. Just checking security."

Dimitri smirked. "And what is your impression so far?"

"Oh!" I nodded. "Very good. Mmm-hmmm. Very thorough. Except for, you know, leaving the door to the _security _room unlocked. Might want to investigate that."

Dimitri nodded. "Well, by all means, now I've passed the test, how about you put that key back?"

I tilted my head to the side, pretending to consider. "Nope. No can do, comrade."

Dimitri's face grew more reserved. "I'm serious. If you're not going to tell me what it's for, Rose, I'll have to tell you to put it back."

"Afraid I can't do that, Sir." I replied, weighing my odds. Dimitri was standing between me and the door. I couldn't fight him. He could easily grab the key from me anyway.

Any playfulness left Dimitri's face and I was dealing with Guardian Belikov. "Put it back, Rose."

I stood my ground, trying to imitate his guardian mask. When I didn't show any inclination of putting the key back, he reached for it. I jumped back, pulling my hand away and holding it to my chest.

A wave of irritation passed Dimitri's face. He reached for it again, this time using the other hand to hold me in place, but I surprised myself by beating him to it, this time shoving the key down my half open jacket, sliding it into my bra. If he wanted it, he was going to have to go fishing.

Dimitri's hand tightened, now on my left arm. "Rose, this isn't a game! Give it back."

I looked him in the eye. "Look, how many times does that drawer even get checked? From the looks of it, not very often. I need this key. I'm obviously not going to rob banks with it, so why don't we just forget this happened?"

Dimitri studied my face sceptically. "If I'd agree with what you're doing, why don't you tell me? You usually include me in your plans. "

I struggled against his grip. "Well, you're not going to be here for me anyway, so what's the point?"

I thought I saw hurt and anger cross Dimitri's face for a moment before he replaced it with his guardian mask. "The _point_ is that I _do_ care about you, maybe not in the way you want, but in some way, and I want to help you Rose, but this is my job."

I finally managed to jerk myself away from him. "Not for long," I muttered resentfully as I ran out the door.


End file.
